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whiff

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*whiff of something

 

1. . Lit. the smell or odor of something. (*Typically: get ~; catch ~; have ~; take ~; give someone ~.) Did you get a whiff of the turkey roasting? Yummy. I caught a whiff of something rather unpleasant in the attic. I think there is a dead mouse up there.

2. . Fig. a bit of knowledge of something. (*Typically: get ~; catch ~; give someone ~.) The boss got a whiff of the problems in the accounting department. No one will get a whiff of your trouble with the police. I'll see to that.

See also: of, whiff

whiff-sniffer

and wiff-sniffer

n. a prohibitionist; someone always alert for the smell of alcohol on someone’s breath. (Prohibition.) No wiff-sniffer is going to tell me what to do.